By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Corn on the cob has long been a staple at most summer barbecues and cookouts, and rightfully so. Sweet corn is at its best during the summer months for most of the United States. In Arizona specifically, sweet corn season in the Valley lasts from May to early July, but it is extended into September because of the cooler climates up north and in southeast Arizona.

Corn has gotten somewhat of a bad rap since kernels can pass through us intact. But, in an article that CNN published, Registered Dietician Julia Zumpano notes that corn is actually very good for you and does have many nutritional advantages. Corn is high in the two carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which might help lower the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. Corn also is a source of B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium. Something interesting that the article mentioned is that corn is high in antioxidants, and the darker the color of the corn, like blue or red, the more pigment it has, and the more antioxidants it has.

Another interesting fact about corn that I didn’t know was that because of how high in fiber it is, and because our bodies don’t digest fiber, we actually don’t digest half of the carbohydrates that make up that corn. So, what that means is that when we eat corn, we are consuming carbs, but our bodies aren’t using them as they would usually use carbs because they can’t break them down.

So, corn does actually have some nutritional value to it! And it provides us with a way to eat carbs without really increasing the number of carbs that we are consuming.

Arizona grows a lot of sweet corn, so it is easy to find locally grown corn here in the state! To find out where you can get locally grown corn, or to find recipes that use corn, check out the Fill Your Plate website!

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

When I’m feeling stressed, I often find myself reaching for a carb-filled snack such as a bag of greasy popcorn or tortilla chips for consolation. And if we’re honest, just two or three chips is not enough to satisfy that craving. It feels as though once you get started on a few chips, you just keep going. Come to find out, one of the biggest reasons that it is so easy to binge eat carbs has to do with the quality of those carbs.

According to a recent article from the Cleveland Clinic, the difference lies in whether the carbs are refined carbs or high-fiber carbs. Registered dietician Anna Taylor notes that “When we consume a lot of these refined carbs, those foods are more quickly digested and absorbed into the body, causing a spike in blood sugar. That spike, in turn, triggers hunger that causes us to, yep, reach for those refined carbs again and keep the cycle going.”

So, does that mean that we should completely eliminate all refined carbs from our diet and throw away every bag of chips in the pantry? Luckily, the answer is no!

One of the ways that you can still enjoy carbs is by choosing carb sources that are higher in fiber because those carbs take longer for your body to digest. This will leave you feeling more satisfied for longer periods of time, and help to reduce binge eating. Choosing high-fiber foods can be as easy as cutting out white grains and switching to whole grain foods and reducing refined sugar intake. Or, you can explore other high-fiber options such as beans, chickpeas, lentils and quinoa.

For recipe ideas that feature many of these high-fiber carb sources, check out the recipe database on Arizona Farm Bureau’s Fill Your Plate Blog.

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Let’s be honest. For those of use who work, it can be hard to find the time to either make and take, or go out and buy meals during work days. I know that I personally find myself skipping breakfast almost every day, and even lunch sometimes on the days that I work. But, while skipping meals might save us some time, it can negatively impact how we perform throughout the rest of the workday. So, it is very important that we be eating good, balanced meals throughout the day. Lunches are especially important because they get us through the remainder of the afternoon.

Registered dietician Lindsay Wengler noted in a Forbes article that the foods that we eat significantly impact our mood and our energy levels. So, the nutrition that we get throughout the day is vital. Wengler says that good, nourishing lunches are comprised of a combination of starches and or grains, vegetables and or fruit, protein, and fat.

Registered dietician Lindely Wells gives more tips on choosing the best components to use to make up healthy lunches. She suggests choosing complex carbohydrates rather than refined carbohydrates to fuel us, incorporating healthy fats to maintain that energy, ensuring you’re getting enough fiber to keep you feeling full, and protein for cell growth and development.

Even though we might be pressed on time during the workweek, we should all prioritize getting adequate nutrition so that we can be as effective as possible at all of our tasks!

For some healthy, quick, and easy lunch ideas, check out the article from Forbes, which provides 7 easy and nutritious lunch recipes from registered dieticians. And for even more recipes, take a look at Arizona Farm Bureau’s Fill Your Plate website, which has an entire database of recipes that are made with real and healthy ingredients.

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Growing up, my absolute favorite breakfast meal was a big bowl of Cocoa Puffs cereal. There was nothing more satisfying in the morning than those little chocolatey balls that turned your plain milk into chocolate milk. As I grew up, however, I began to realize that the delicious cereal that I enjoyed as a child really had no nutritional value but was rather just a source of empty carbs and a whole lot of sugar!

A HuffPost article that was recently published broke down what nutrients are most important for people at certain life stages to eat for breakfast. Unfortunately, Cocoa Puffs was not one of them.

The article suggested that young children ages 2-6, need to get plenty of fiber in their diet by eating food items such as high-fiber fruits and toast, and also vitamin D and Iron from foods such as eggs. It also noted that the pickiness that often characterizes kids can be combatted by cutting foods into small pieces and providing a mixed snack plate.

School-Aged Children

School-aged children, 12 and under, need to get as much calcium and vitamin D as possible. The article states that oftentimes, children in this age bracket are not getting enough of these nutrients that are vital to their development. Dairy products are a great way to ensure that your child is consuming enough calcium and vitamin D.

Teenagers

Teenagers, ages 13-17, are recommended to be getting plenty of protein to keep them fueled through their busier schedules. The article also noted that it is during this age group that iron is increasingly important, as both boys and girls of this age are beginning to reach puberty.

Young Adults

Young adults, ages 18-30, are recommended to get nutrition in general. Once people hit this age, when they are out on their own and busy with work, skipping meals becomes the norm. Thus, the article suggests people within this age bracket opt for convenient foods like oatmeal cups, individual yogurts, or bottled smoothies.

Middle-Aged Adults

Middle aged adults, ages 40-60, are likely not getting enough fiber. Registered dietician Kimberly Rose-Francis suggests bumping up daily fiber intake at breakfast, by choosing foods that include whole grains, fruits, or vegetables. Keeping fiber intake high keeps you regular, and helps to maintain good gut health.

Seniors

Seniors, or those who are 60 and older, are encouraged to consume a lot of protein, because at this aged, muscle mass begins to decrease. Rose-Francis also mentions that it is important to ensure that those in this age group are eating enough, since appetite begins to wane around this time. Eating for brain health is also something to keep in mind, so Omega-3s and antioxidants are also nutrients to include.

So, while a nice bowl of cocoa puffs can still be enjoyed for breakfast, there are much better options that fit the specific health needs of each age category. Eating healthier foods that are nutrient-dense can help to ensure that we are meeting our nutritional needs throughout all stages of life.

For some healthy breakfast ideas, check out the breakfast recipe page on the Fill Your Plate Website!

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Looking for a natural sweetener source that is full of nutritional benefits? Dates are a super sweet, nutrient-packed way to naturally add sweetness to your foods, and they are a great source of fiber, magnesium, and potassium! Better yet, dates grow really well in the dry Arizona desert and are in season during the months of October and November, so it’s easy to get locally sourced dates! Not only are they good in desserts, but they are also delicious in savory recipes or even just plain!

Here are some recipes that feature dates. Enjoy!

Date and Honey Nut Cake

Date and Cranberry Nut Bars

Banana, Almond Butter, and Date Smoothie

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Coconut and Date Energy Bites

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Dates and Walnuts

Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Dates

For an even longer list of recipes that use dates, check out the recipe database on the Fill Your Plate website! Also, if you’re interested in buying locally grown dates, check out Bard Date Company or Natural Delights Dates!

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern 

As a kid, it always grossed me out to think that I had bacteria living in my stomach. It was even harder to grasp the concept of how a lot of those bacteria were actually GOOD. In my young mind, bacteria were those nasty little microscopic things that made you sick that mom always warned about. Those bad bacteria do exist, but there is also a whole other world of beneficial bacteria that play a vital role in our health.

Gut health is becoming an increasingly popular topic as more people realize just how much it impacts their overall health. The Cleveland Clinic reports that it can affect your immune system, your ability to manage your weight, and your susceptibility to chronic conditions.

Registered dietician Kristin Kirkpatrick suggests that people eat plenty of fiber, diversify the kinds of fruits and vegetables that make up their diets, and consume more probiotics to help keep the beneficial bacteria in their gut happy. She also notes that consuming high amounts of refined foods, fast food, or high amounts of added sugar can harm the bacteria living in our stomachs.

Turns out, the good bacteria that live in our guts are actually really important to our health. Too bad I didn’t realize that when I was younger!

For more information on gut health, and a few recipes for gut healthy foods, check out Arizona Farm Bureau’s Fill Your Plate blog!

By Julie Murphree, Arizona Farm Bureau Outreach Director

My dad loves breakfast cereal. However, he doesn’t buy the popular boxed cereal you can find in the grocery store and certainly not those containing sugar. Instead, he’ll purchase raw granola, sliced almonds and crumbled walnuts and mix it all together on the morning he prepares breakfast. He’ll top off his bowl with a variety of fresh fruit, usually bananas or sliced strawberries.

But what if you don’t want to go to all that trouble for a simple bowl of cereal? The convenience of cereal can often make us lazy about what we select. But you can find healthy cereal choices in the cereal section of your local grocer.

In a recent issue of Healthline, popular and convenient, store-bought breakfast cereals often contain added sugar and are low in fiber and protein, suggests registered dietitian Brianna Elliott, who shares suggestions for making good cereal choices at home and at the grocery store. Oats, DIY muesli, homemade granola and DIY peanut butter puffs and cinnamon crunch cereal as well as cauliflower oatmeal are among the nutritious options she recommends, and some store-bought choices are packed with wholesome ingredients, too, she notes.

On Arizona Farm Bureau’s Fill Your Plate blog, you can find all kinds of breakfast recipes, suggestions and options.

Arizona farmers grow more food and fiber with less – less land, less labor, less water, less soil erosion, less energy use, less greenhouse gas emissions – but with more efficiency and safety. Arizona farmers do more using fewer resources!

By Sarah Hunt, AZFB Communications Intern

Looking for a fresh new salad recipe to try out for dinner tonight? You’re in luck! Try this delicious Harvest Quinoa Salad recipe from Natural Delights!

Harvest Quinoa Salad

By Natural Delights Medjool Dates

Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes (squash and farro) | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 Cup Cooked Farro
• 1 Cup Butternut Squash, Cubed and Roasted
• 1 Large Gala Apple, Diced
• 1/2 Cup Yellow Bell Pepper, Diced
• 1/2 Cup Red Onion, Diced
• 2 Cups Kale, Chopped and Massaged
• 6 Natural Delights® Dates, Pitted*
• 1/4 Cup Slivered Almonds

Dressing:

• 1 Lemon, Juiced
• 2 T. Maple Syrup
• 2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 T. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• ½ Tsp. Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

* Find “Pitted Medjool Dates” in a Store

Preparation

1. In a large mixing bowl, add all the salad ingredients together and gently toss until combined.
2. Next, prepare the dressing by adding all the ingredients into a small, lidded jar, then seal and shake until thoroughly mixed.
3. When ready, pour the dressing over the salad and carefully toss.
4. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy!

*While Medjool dates are high in natural sugars, they are low on the glycemic index thanks to a balanced amount of soluble fiber. The complex carbohydrates found in Medjool dates are digested at a slower rate, making them a source of dietary fiber and releasing energy to the body over a longer period of time.

Find more delicious recipes on Fill Your Plate’s recipe database!

Photo by Loubies and Lulu

By Sarah Hunt, AZFB Communications Intern

Looking for a healthier version of pie to make this winter season? We’ve got you covered! Try this recipe for apple crisps with caramel date drizzle from Loubies and Lulu and Natural Delights.

Ingredients

For The Date Caramel Sauce:

• 1 cup packed pitted Natural Delights Medjool Dates (soak in warm water for 10 min prior to using, then drain well before adding to blender)
• ¾ canned light coconut milk (or nut milk of your choice)
• 1 tsp sea salt or regular salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Apple Filling:

• 5–6 medium apples, sliced to ¼ in thickness (about 8 cups)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ginger

For the Caramel Crumble Topping:

• 1 cup chopped nuts of your choice
• 6 tbsp coconut oil (softened) or ghee
• ¾ cup almond flour
• 2 tbsp date caramel sauce (recipe above)
• ⅔ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ⅛ tsp sea salt

(Find “1 lb Medjool Dates” in your local grocery store.)

Preparation

For the Date Caramel Sauce

1. Soak dates in warm water for 5 min prior to using, then drain well before adding to blender
2. Remove the pits from the dates (if not already pitted)
3. Add dates to the blender jar along with the salt, vanilla, and ¾ cup light coconut milk.
4. Blend for about 15-30 seconds. Stop blender and scrape down sides, pushing unmixed ingredients down into the jar.
5. Cover and blend again for 15-30 seconds.
6. Repeat until all ingredients are well integrated and you reach the desired consistency. Add the additional ¼ cup of coconut milk to thin the mixture further. (¾ cup of coconut milk seems perfect for dipping/dollops, and 1 cup makes it a little thinner for drizzling)
7. Refrigerate until ready to use then pull out for a few minutes prior to serving.
8. With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined.

For the Apple Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with the spices until evenly coated, then transfer to a baking dish and set aside.

For the Caramel Crumble Topping

1. Put all crumble topping ingredients in a food processor and pulse, until the nuts are coarsely chopped and the ingredients are well combined.
2. Push the mixture down sides of blender bowl if needed and pulse again. Don’t over process, you want the texture to be thick and crumbly. (This does not take long.)
3. Sprinkle the topping all over the apples to fully cover.
4. Bake in the preheated oven loosely covered in a sheet of foil for 50 minutes.
5. Remove the foil and bake 5-10 more minutes, until the apples are soft and the topping is slightly golden and crisp.
6. Let sit for 15-20 minutes to cool before serving.
7. Serve with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream and/or drizzle some of the date caramel sauce over the top for extra gooey caramelly goodness!
8. If you have leftovers, store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days and reheat before serving…enjoy!

*While Medjool dates are high in natural sugars, they are low on the glycemic index thanks to a balanced amount of soluble fiber. The complex carbohydrates found in Medjool dates are digested at a slower rate, making them a source of dietary fiber and releasing energy to the body over a longer period of time.

Find more Natural Delights dates recipes on Fill Your Plate’s recipe database!

By Sarah Hunt, AZFB Communications Intern

Try making this apple, date, and walnut salad for dinner tonight! It pairs nicely with some shredded grilled chicken on top to give it some extra protein and turn it from a side dish into a meal.

Apple, Date, & Walnut Salad

By Natural Delights

Ingredients

• 1 Lemon, juiced
• 1 clove of Garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 6-8 cups arugula
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 Fuji apple, sliced
• 4 Medjool Dates, diced (Find “1 lb Medjool Dates” in a store)
• Seeds from 1 Pomegranate
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 8 oz. gorgonzola cheese

Preparation

1. In a mixing bowl, make your salad dressing by adding together your lemon, garlic, honey, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper. Whisk while adding in your olive oil.
2. In another bowl, add your arugula and red onion. Add your dressing on top and toss well.
3. Slice your Fuji apple and dates and set to the side.
4. Add your salad to a plate or bowl and top with your Fuji apples.
5. Add your diced dates, walnuts and pomegranate seeds.
6. Top with Gorgonzola cheese and enjoy!

*While Medjool dates are high in natural sugars, they are low on the glycemic index thanks to a balanced amount of soluble fiber. The complex carbohydrates found in Medjool dates are digested at a slower rate, making them a source of dietary fiber and releasing energy to the body over a longer period of time.

Find more Natural Delights recipes on Fill Your Plate’s recipe database!

By Sarah Hunt, AZFB Communications Intern

Recipe By Natural Delights

Mix up your usual charcuterie board with a dessert board! Pile on the chocolate, berries, mini Medjools and caramel. This is the perfect dish to bring to a party or use as a late night snack. Recipe by Feasting on Fruit.

Prep Time: 45 minutes | Yield: serves 8

Ingredients

Tahini Caramel Sauce

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1-2 tbsp coconut oil
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cocoa Whipped Coconut cream

• 1 can coconut cream, chilled at least 24 hours
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• Optional: 1-2 tbsp sweetener of choice

Peanut Butter Cups

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
• Natural Delights Medjool Dates

Mixed berries (or any other fruit you want to add)

(Find “1 lb Medjool Dates” in a Store)

Preparation

1. Whisk together caramel sauce ingredients until creamy and smooth.
2. Whip the solid part of the coconut cream with a hand mixer. Add cocoa powder and whip again until creamy and combined.
3. Melt the chocolate chips. Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners. Spoon a small amount of chocolate into the bottom of each and up the sides. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Place a spoonful of peanut butter in the center of each. Cover with remaining chocolate. Tap the pan to smooth out the tops. Refrigerate 30 minutes until set.
4. Arrange your board: dips/sauces, Natural Delights Mini Medjools, peanut butter cups, berries, anything else you want to add!
5. Serve and enjoy!

*While Medjool dates are high in natural sugars, they are low on the glycemic index thanks to a balanced amount of soluble fiber. The complex carbohydrates found in Medjool dates are digested at a slower rate, making them a source of dietary fiber and releasing energy to the body over a longer period of time.

Find more Natural Delight date recipes in Fill Your Plate’s recipe database!

By Kennadee Riggs, AZFB Communications Intern

Did you know you and your cat have similar taste buds? Here are some nutritious recipes both you and your kitty can enjoy together!

Lemon Pepper Salmon

This one is a delicious dish packed full of protein and delicate flavors. 

Sugarfree Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

This is a delicious, healthy treat that you and your feline will adore. 

Baked Tuna Steak

If you like seafood and tangy twists, you and your cat will both love this meal!

Spinach and Egg Scramble

This mix of protein and fiber will satisfy both of your nutrition needs and your appetite. 

For more recipes you can enjoy with your pets, check out Fill Your Plate’s collection of ‘Recipes You Can Enjoy With Your Animals’.